Available February to November. Apted’s Orchards is a family owned company. It operates an orchard and grazing enterprise from Arthurs Creek and Kinglake West north east of Melbourne that has spanned 5 generations. The farm gate sales at 864 Cottlesbridge-Strathewen Road Arthurs Creek are proving very popular, with 2kg bags of apples straight from the bin – that is, unwaxed and unsorted. Farm gate sales also operate from 1105 Whittlesea-Kinglake Road, Kinglake West. Wholesale marketing is done through the associated Melbourne Pear Company which operates out of the Footscray Wholesale Market.

Their honey is unheated and is without added rice or corn syrup. Seasonal varieties may include Grey Box, Messmate, Yellow Box, Red Gum and Manna Gum. The honey comes from hives which are migrated from Eltham and around the Green Belt, Yarra Valley to central Victoria, plus honey from rescued hives across Melbourne.

They also offer creamed honey, honeycomb, and a highly sought after local honey remedy for hay fever, sinus and pollen related asthma (see testimonials). Plus chai tea and bees wax candles.

Finally, as Bee Rescue, they also rescue bees across Melbourne from pest controllers.

Ben’s Bees sell raw honey – honey that has not been treated in any way. It is taken from the hive in frames designed to hold honey, spun with centrifugal force, drained through a fine sieve to remove any wax particles, and bottled.

They also sell candles, beeswax, soap, hives, bees and clothing.

Their services include bee & swarm removal, beehive pollination and European wasp removal.

Buttermans Track is the brand name for the wines made and sold by Queenstown Vineyards. They use a wild yeast (rather than sangioyeast), and thus have a natural fermentation. All of their wines are produced from their estate-grown fruit. They have been growing grapes for 25 years and making wine for 10 years.

Gateway Market grows a wide range of vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. These are grown in a temperature-controlled hydroponic greenhouse, which uses much less water than conventional growing methods. Shoppers can pick their produce directly from the plants.

As well as their own produce, Gateway Market sells a range of fruit, vegetables, cheese, pies, chutneys and jams, all grown or made in the Yarra Valley.

They also have a cafe.

Hildebrand Grove is a local, family-run olive grove in picturesque Cottles Bridge which has been quietly producing award-winning olive oil for ten years. Ann and David Strutt are in there at every stage of the process: tending the olive trees, harvesting and pressing the olives. The oil is produced from a blend of Corregiola and Frantoio olives and the end result – a flavoursome and award-winning extra virgin olive oil – has become a beloved staple in many local households. In addition to selling the plain extra virgin olive oil, Hildebrand Grove also produces a great range of infused oils. With a variety of tasty flavours, these are a sophisticated addition to any pantry and can be used in cooked dishes or to dress salads.

The vegetables grown by Kinglake Vegetables include: beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages (savoy & purple), capsicum, cauliflower, carrots, celery, eggplant, fennel, kale, leeks, swedes, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, silverbeet, snow peas, spring onions, tomatoes and zucchini. Their fruit includes: blackberries, blueberries kiwifruit and raspberries.

They grow slowly, traditionally, using their own seeds. It is colder at their farm in Kinglake than some other parts of Victoria so sometimes that means their produce isn’t ready as early as other areas.

Ken King commenced planting his Kangaroo Ground vineyard in 1990. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties were chosen to suit the south facing site. Initially, the high quality grapes were sold to Yarra Valley wineries. In 2001, a well-equipped winery was built and the brand ‘Kings of Kangaroo Ground’ commenced. All wines are handcrafted, vegan compliant (no animal products used) and the grapes are pesticide free. Other grape varieties are now sourced from local ‘black soil’ growers and from a select vineyard in the Heathcote region. King’s passion is driven by the pursuit of excellence that can be achieved through minimalist wine-making intervention, they want their wines to be at the pinnacle of this traditional craft.

Maya ‘Xala Honey make pure and natural honey which they sell in 600g jars.

The owner, Nathan Stewart, is also the resident beekeeper at Rivers of Yarrambat.

“Maya’Xala” as it is an Indigenous word that means treat others and things the way you want to be treated (i.e. with respect). This sacred teaching and inter-connectedness could really help modern western ways of living.

Panton Hill Estate Olives produces extra virgin olive oils, processed primarily as single variety oils, as well as selling table olives. It also makes a handmade range of cosmetic products, all made solely with their extra virgin olive oil, including soap, lip balm, hand scrub and calendula healing balm.

The olive varieties include Frantoio, Correggiola and Koroneiki for oil production, and Kalamata and California Queen varieties for table olives. Quality is always the primary driver at each phase of the production process and the table olives are processed on site, using the traditional salt and water brine method of curing. This takes up to six months of careful attention to ensure the resulting table olives are firm and have the distinctive taste and qualities of their varieties. Part of the secret of the flavours are the shale soils found in Nillumbik, in which olive trees thrive.

In 1975, the Lance family found a beautiful twenty acres of sloping land in the hamlet of St Andrews, Yarra Valley. The soils were poor, thin and riddled with rock. The elevation was high (250m) and the site was a natural ampitheatre, perfect for capturing sunlight without excessive heat.

The family began planting in 1976. Punch began in 2005, when James & Claire Lance began leasing the vineyard and winery. Their wine labels are Punch (made with own grapes), Friends of Punch (made with others’ grapes) and Elemental.

A small family owned and operated winery in Arthurs Creek. Their philosophy is to produce premium wines from estate-grown fruit ripened to optimum levels and matured in finest quality small oak barrels.

Sugarloaf Produce is a small organic farm located at the base of Mt. Sugarloaf and the Kinglake Ranges. They are the 5th generation to farm this property. Composted organic matter is the key to growing their produce, and all of their compost is made on site using a mixture of farm green waste, cow, sheep and poultry manure, sawdust from their mill and other organic materials. Other biological techniques used on the farm include crop rotation, mixed cropping and mixed stocking. Beneficial compost teas are sprayed on crops regularly, and plentiful habitat is provided for beneficial insects in their vast bushland areas.

Produce includes: beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, chilli, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, globe artichoke, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, rocket, silverbeet, spinach, tomatoes and zucchini.

The Mushroom Shed is a local grower of swiss brown and white mushrooms and also provide ‘grow your own’ kits for people who want to grow their own mushrooms at home. They also do a wide range of herb and veggie seedlings, in pots/punnets – concentrating on heritage and unusual varieties, with over 40 varieties of heritage tomato seedlings available in Spring. You can see Mark and Helen at farmers’ markets both locally and in other Melbourne suburbs. As a small producer, they sell only direct to the customer via farmers’ markets (no wholesale), giving the customer ultimate freshness and an opportunity to talk directly with the grower.